Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit created to provide resources to Richmond Animal Care & Control that result in increased adoptions and improve the quality of life of pets in its care and in the Greater Richmond community.

We value all lives, human and animal, without prejudice, and recognize the importance of respect, tolerance, kindness and generosity.

Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit created to provide resources to Richmond Animal Care & Control that result in increased adoptions and improve the quality of life of pets in its care and in the Greater Richmond community.

We value all lives, human and animal, without prejudice, and recognize the importance of respect, tolerance, kindness and generosity.

Impact

RAWF supports Richmond Animal Care and Control (RACC), the only "open shelter" in Richmond. Open shelter means that RACC takes any animal in the City of Richmond that is abandoned, injured, lost, or abused and provides the emergency and ongoing medical and behavioral treatment, or just simply comfort and care, that pet needs to live a healthy life and be ready to be adopted into a loving home. In short, RACC is committed to providing the resources to treating any animal that can recover humanely. This is where RAWF plays a critical role, to help fund the care of the overwhelming number of pets, nearly 2000 a year, who rely on RACC's care.

RAWF also works to help promote and market RACC's outreach efforts for increased awareness of the shelter's amazing work and to help educate the Richmond community on the responsibilities and benefits associated with being a pet owner.

2016 has been a great year for RAWF and RACC as there is a brand new large, fenced play yard for the dogs, three planned fundraising events, and continued funding for an on-site behavioral trainer and ongoing support of the life saving medical treatments mentioned above. With our help, and yours, RACC will be able to adopt out nearly 1400 healthy and loving pets.

The first half of 2015 has been record setting. The current save rate at Richmond Animal Care and Control is 81%. With continued support from Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation, animals with serious injuries or medical conditions are able to be treated.

Needs

Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation is a critical part of Richmond Animal Care and Control because RACC is a city government service. With continuing budget reductions, the amazing and life saving work of RACC needs an outside advocate, and RAWF is proud to provide part of that service.

Financial donations go DIRECTLY to support medical needs and treatments of our residents, and to facilitate training and behavior modification.

In addition, volunteers are always needed to provide social interaction, grooming, and to walk the dogs to help them remain healthy and active, while reducing the stress and depression often caused by cage confinement.

Foster help is always needed because RACC will NOT euthanize for lack of space. These temporary homes provide a warm and safe environment until an adoptive family is ready to take them home.

Finally, we need donations! Any of the following that you can provide will help a pet be safe, comfortable, and well taken care of:

Towels, sheets and blankets

Cat beds

Canned dog and kitten food (pate style)

Treats

Bleach/Lemon Pine Sol and hand sanitizer

Kong toys

Newspapers

Peanut butter/chicken broth

Baby food (chicken or turkey flavor with no vegetables)

Cages

Pet carriers

Thank you for reviewing the needs of RAWF, in support of RACC!

Background

The Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation was established by Walter Dotts in response to a study of the Richmond Animal Shelter (now Richmond Animal Care & Control) and the impact of the Richmond SPCA becoming a limited admission / no-kill facility. Limited admission means that injured animals would not be accepted, indicating that there would be a dramatic increase in the number of animals that would be handled by the Richmond Animal Shelter. The Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation would provide a means for the community to make charitable donations to help provide a comfortable environment for this increase in animals with emergency and/or ongoing health and behavioral needs. RAWF exists to support RACC's commitment to treating any animal that can recover humanely and find a forever adoptive family.

The foundation will continue to provide support to RACC that city funding is unable to cover to enhance the shelter's environment, provide comfort to all the animals in Richmond who need it, and enhance the adoptability of homeless animals by all means possible to make Richmond a community where no adoptable or treatable animal is euthanized.

Areas of Service

Areas Served

Area

Metro Richmond

Board Chair

Board Chair Brittany Schaal

Company AffiliationCommunity Volunteer

TermApr 2013 to June 2018

Emailschaalbt@yahoo.com

Board of Directors

Board Members

Name

Affiliation

Jeff Diamond

Community Volunteer

Sarah Anne Diamond

Community Volunteer

Dr. Kim Gower

Community Volunteer

Sallie Leys

Community Volunteer

Susan Parnell

Community Volunteer

Brittany Schaal

Community Volunteer

Robin Sponaugle

Community Volunteer

Helen Zuelzer

Community Volunteer

Board Demographics - Ethnicity

African American/Black0

Asian American/Pacific Islander0

Caucasian7

Hispanic/Latino0

Native American/American Indian0

Board Demographics - Gender

Male1

Female6

Governance

Board Term Lengths3

Written Conflict of Interest Policy?No

Percentage Making Monetary Contributions100

Percentage Making In-Kind Contributions100

Number of Full Board Meetings Annually11

Other Boards

The tables below contain information about other groups that advise this nonprofit on operations and projects.

DescriptionRACC requires funds outside of their budget of nearly $50,000 a year for emergency vet needs. A recent example was a dog who was chained by one leg and chewed off his leg in order to escape from abusive owners.

DescriptionMany "owners" give up their pets because they do not have the time or patience to walk them or train them. RAWF helps provide an on-site trainer to RACC who works with these energetic dogs to get them ready to be adopted out to a family who will love them. This service is about $21,000 a year.

DescriptionMany other animals are abandoned because they require ongoing medical treatment like HIV positive cats and dogs with heartworm. These also often fall outside of the limited shelter budget. Annual cost about $25,000

DescriptionMany people adopt dogs and cats because they are cute, with no idea of the ongoing care they need. RAWF works with the community to educate pet owners, or potential pet owners, about spaying and neutering, heartworm prevention and medicine, flea treatment, rabies shots, city licensing requirements, etc. Approximate cost of this program is $5,000 a year.

CEO/ED/Board Comments

To provide direction for Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation we developed a strategic plan which focuses on the following goals:

Help brand Richmond Animal Care and Control so the community recognizes all the services and support available

Promote the Foster Care Program enabling the city to reduce the euthanasia rate by providing temporary care for animals that are not ready for adoption

Support the cost of medical expenses such as heartworm treatment and life saving surgeries

Facilitate training and behavior modification for animals within the safekeeping of Richmond Animal Care and Control

Increase community partnerships as a means to strengthen fundraising and outreach opportunities

Educate city pet owners about the proper care and training associated with being a responsible pet owner

Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation exists to support Richmond Animal Care and Control, a City of Richmond entity. As with any government service, funds are limited. When the Richmond SPCA became a limited admission shelter, meaning they would not take animals in need of emergency or immediate veterinary care, the pressure on RACC became huge. Our foundation exists to help RACC meet the expenses outside of the city budget to help every animal that can recover humanely and find a forever adoptive family.